Month: April 2025

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials plan to reopen a segment of JD Johnson Road on Wednesday, for the first time since closing it because of flood damage in June 2023.

On the same day, Garrett Road — just around the corner from JD Johnson — will close for two months because of similar work.

And that’s not all: Next week, a part of Ellicott Highway — several miles northeast — will close for six weeks for repairs there.

JD Johnson and Garrett roads were affected by flooding in Black Squirrel Creek; Ellicott Highway was damaged by flooding in Brackett Creek.

Crews have built a low-water crossing to replace the section of JD Johnson that washed out, and will build a smaller version on Garrett; the crossings are designed to allow low drainage levels to flow under those roads but will be closed to traffic during high-water periods.

“We would have done Garrett together with JD Johnson,” said Veronica Cid, a senior engineer for the county. “But because the two roads are next to each other, we shouldn’t close two roads. We use one or the other as a detour.”

Workers will install a 48-inch culvert under Ellicott Highway to convey future drainage from Brackett Creek, and all three creek crossings on the affected roads will be paved with concrete for increased stability.

The county is spending $8 million — mostly from federal funds — to make repairs, and should finish the work this summer.

Crews also are widening and stabilizing the creek channels to better contain high-velocity flows.

Officials hope that the new infrastructure better prepare them for the next once-in-a-century flood.

A construction worker said that crews also will make minor improvements to the entrances to the National Mill Dog Rescue near the Garrett/JD Johnson intersection.

“These roads are built up higher than the rescue property,” he explained. “It’s hard for them to get the motor homes that they use to rescue dogs, in and out. So we’ll be doing some good-neighbor work to help them out.”

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Southern Colorado branch of Two Men and a Truck is partnering with Mary’s Home to bring essentials to struggling single moms this Mother’s Day.

“It takes a village to make sure we’re here to help these women,” said Two Men and a Truck Colorado Springs franchise manager Jackson Wibbles.

It’s part of the branch’s annual Movers for Moms program, now in its 18th year. It’s the first year partnering with Mary’s Home, who helps single mothers overcome homelessness.

“They’re really the hardest working people I’ve ever met,” Mary’s Home CEO Matthew Ayers said about single mothers. “They’re my heroes.”

Two Men and a Truck has donation boxes out around town in Colorado Springs and Pueblo where people can drop off their donations, including at Colorado Springs branch location at 3220 Fillmore Ridge Heights.

While Mary’s Home said it appreciates all donations, it puts the strongest emphasis on gift cards, baby items, toilet paper, tissues and toiletries.

“They’re protecting their kids. They have big goals for life,” Ayers said. “We see kids moving from crisis and not really knowing where their next meal or safe space is going to be, to just thriving!”

Two Men and a Truck will collect items until May 9, the Friday before Mother’s Day. It also has an Amazon wishlist people can buy items from online. You can also donate directly to Mary’s Home on their website.

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Tuesday, April 15, licensed shops will be able to sell recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs. However, not all stores that’ve applied for licenses will get their chance to sell to recreational users.

The City of Colorado Springs says 53 stores have applied for a retail license of a possible 86 licenses. As of April 14, only 27 applications have been approved.

“We’ve put a lot of work in on the back end, just getting the licenses and all that settled,” Dustin Taylor, the operations manager for The Epic Remedy, said.

According to the city’s database, these five stores are still waiting for inspections before obtaining their retail license.

A small group of stores, like Fountain Organics on Rio Vista, are still waiting for inspections before they can start selling.

Despite tomorrow being the first day licensed stores can sell to recreational customers, Taylor says Tuesday won’t be a grand opening day, “We have to kind of spend the day, tomorrow, getting that stuff into our system, getting it barcoded and getting the merchandise here in the stores so that we can begin sales.”

Because of specific rules, The Epic Remedy and the other licensed stores haven’t been able to even set up their stores with recreational products.

The Epic Remedy store on Fountain Ave.

Today, the interior of The Epic Remedy store on Fountain Blvd is half empty. Taylor says their stores are still serving medical customers during the transition.

“We won’t be fully merchandised right out the gate tomorrow,” Taylor says. Tuesday will be more of a soft opening. They hope to be able to sell recreational products in the afternoon. Potential customers are already excited. Employees at the Fountain Ave. location say people have been calling, inquiring about recreational products all morning.

However, the true size of the Colorado Springs recreational marijuana market remains to be seen.

“This is an untapped market here in Colorado Springs. So really, we kind of have to look outwardly at Denver and Pueblo,” Taylor said. “We definitely anticipate a much higher volume of people coming through, and we’ve done our best to prepare as much as we can.

However, not every store will start selling retail products. Taylor says The Epic Remedy location on N Academy will stay medical only. Taylor says they wanted to keep one store selling only to medical customers, and that location wouldn’t qualify for a retail license anyway. Just across the street sits Unique Play Place, a child care facility.